Return to Play Decisions Are Complicated

When athletes begin to get multiple concussions,the decision to return them to play, or even to end their career perhaps, is complicated, and that has to be done often or usually with expert medical advicewith the addition of neuropsychological testing, sometimes brain-imaging tests like MRI scans.So multiple concussions really elevates the problem and the issueparticularly if you are considering returning that athlete backinto potentially more head collisions.

Multiple concussions versus a single concussion in sports elevate the need for expert medical advice before returning to play.

Julian Bailes, MD is a founding member of the Brain Injury Research Institute and professor and chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery, West Virginia University School of Medicine. He is a recognized leader in the field of neurosurgery and the impact of brain injury on cognitive function.

This program is made possible in part by a grant from the Bob Woodruff Foundation, which is dedicated to ensuring that impacted post-9/11 veterans, service members, and their families are thriving long after they return home.